Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:23:0
Ayinde O. Chase - AHN Editor
Uppsala, Sweden (AHN) - Scientists in Sweden are reporting for the first time that a group of drugs originally formulated to treat heart failure and abnormal rhythms is showing promise in fighting colon cancer. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, with more than 150,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
Scientists have suspected for some time, based on previous research, that cardiac glycosides- naturally derived drugs used in treating congestive heart failure can be used in treating various forms of cancer.
Scientists tested five of these heart drugs against laboratory cultures of human colon cancer cells and found that they were all effective, to varying degrees, at killing the cancer cells. According to the study however thee sensitivity was rather low when compared to that of other cancer cell types reported previously. Several of the drugs also showed increased anticancer activity when combined with certain drugs used for standard chemotherapy.
The researchers' findings suggest that these heart drugs may affect colon cancer outcome when used alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy drugs.
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